Best Choice for Northern States: All-Season Tires Guide

April 18, 2025

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Last Updated on August 9, 2025

Why All-Season Tires Might Be the Best Choice for Northern States – Top Picks

If you follow our content stream, you will undoubtedly notice that we always promote a “two-tire” strategy for areas with continental climates. This means we suggest you have a proper set of winter tires when the temperatures approach the freezing point and a separate set of summer tires when the average outside temperature surpasses 45 degrees. This way, you will be covered for any conditions you might encounter, have dependable winter tires to keep you safe on snow and ice, and have a capable set of summer rubber to maximize performance and handling.

Even so, all-season and all-weather tires remain popular for many drivers, mainly since they are practical (a single set of tires for all purposes) and provide decent performance in various circumstances, even though they can’t quite match the performance of dedicated winter or summer tires. However, some areas and climate conditions in the US still make all-season or all-weather tires a relevant year-round choice. So, let’s see what those areas are and what the recommended tires are.

All-Season vs. All-Weather

Although these two types of tires are similar and often confused, they have different performances, compounds, and uses. Let’s briefly explain both types of rubber. All-season tires are designed to perform well in various conditions, including dry roads, wet roads, and light snow. However, they are optimized for moderate climates and are not made to handle extreme cold, heavy snow, or ice. Their rubber compound begins to harden when temperatures drop below 45°F (7°C), which reduces grip and braking performance in proper winter conditions. So, while they offer a smooth, quiet ride and long tread life, they’re unsuitable for areas with harsh winters.

On the other hand, all-weather tires are engineered to work in both summer and winter conditions, making them more versatile. They are made with a rubber compound that stays flexible in cold weather, and many of them carry the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, which means they meet the snow traction standards. This still doesn’t mean that all-weather tires are as capable as a proper winter tire; it just means they are more capable than the all-seasons. However, due to a bit more aggressive tire construction, they are noisier and can wear faster, so they are not an ideal solution for summer conditions, though they remain usable in warm weather.

What Are The States Where All-Season Tires Make the Most Sense?

The states where all-season or all-weather tires make the most sense are the northern parts of the USA, especially states like Washington, North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, the northern part of Michigan, Idaho, and Oregon. All those states have cold winters with lots of snow and colder summers with rain and relatively lower temperatures than the average.

But the list doesn’t end there; New York and Pennsylvania are also known for rainy periods, so drivers in those states can relate to this. This means drivers in these states face challenging road conditions for most of the year and relatively short, dry, and warm periods. From that perspective, owning a set of summer tires is unnecessary, and all-season or all-weather ones will do just fine. Let’s see what your options are.

Best All-Season Tires For Drivers In Northern States

Premium Tires

Michelin CrossClimate 2 (All-Weather Tire)

The CrossClimate 2 is a standout tire for drivers who face shifting weather patterns, including cold rain and snowy commutes. It performs like a winter tire in freezing conditions but drives like a performance all-season in the dry.